Self-supporting, totally combustible unit

ABSTRACT

The unit in question is a self-supporting, tottaly combustible unit for use against frosts. Said unit consists of a solid combustible body having at least one passage passing through same longitudinally and open at both ends thereof. The solid body consists of a mixture of combustible materials. The lower end of said body is provided with at least one air inlet channel in communication with the above mentioned passage and extending up to the sidewalls of the aforesaid body.

United States Patent Neme May 13, 1975 [54] SELF-SUPPORTING, TOTALLY 214,467 4/1879 Stoker 44/38 COMBUSTIBLE UNIT 365,271 6/1887 Obersky et 31.... 44/14 1,780,205 11/1930 Maurel 44/14 Inventor: Fuhad Abdala Neme, Avelino 3.036900 5/1962 Honeycutt o. 44 25 Maure 732, Mendoza. Argentina 1402.033 9/1968 Starr 44/17 [22] Filed: Ian. 4, 1972 Primary E.mminerC. Dees [2]] Appl- 215386 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Christen & Sabol [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT Jan. 5. 1971 Argentina 233326 The unit in question is a self-supporting, tottaly com- [52] Us. CL 44/14; 44/23; 44/25; bustible unit for use against frosts. Said unit consists of 44/38; 126/595 a solid combustible body having at least one passage [5 1] Int CL Clo] 5/36; C10] 5/40 passing through same longitudinally and open at both [58] Fie'd of Search A V I v I H 44 14 3 23 25; ends thereof. The 5011(1 body consists Of a mixture Of 126/595 combustible materials. The lower end of said body is provided with at least one air inlet channel in commu- [56] References Cited nication with the above mentioned passage and ex- UNITED STATES PATENTS tending up to the sidewalls of the aforesaid body.

73,922 H1868 Philbrick 44/14 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 SELF-SUPPORTING, TOTALLY COMBUSTIBLE UNIT The present invention refers to a self-supporting, totally combustible unit, useful against the effects of frosts, and to a method for obtaining such a unit.

The totally combustible unit according to the invention, comprises a solid mass or body molded to a cylindrical or rectangular shape and consisting integrally of a mixture of combustible materials, said body including at least a passage opened at the ends thereof and passing through the body in the longitudinal direction of same, said passage being communicated with at least one air inlet channel corresponding to the lower end of aforementioned body. Said unit, considered as a whole, is chemically formulated in a manner adequate to the farmers practical requirements in counteracting positively the harmful effects of frost.

The methods and devices used so far, both those protected by letters patent as well as the common homely resources, in all cases require the use of metallic apparata, containers or carriers, for solid or liquid fuels, chimneys, additional feeders, etc., devices which the present invention makes entirely superfluous. Furthermore, all the known equipment made of sheet metal are subject to corrosion due to water and air, which is unimportant in the units of the present invention inasmuch as same are entirely unaffected thereby. The totally combustible unit of the invention completely avoids the dead weight implied by the carrier inasmuch as the new unit is self-supporting and is burnt to ashes, thus avoiding extra charges on account of labor, transport, costs, removal of residues, etc. Furthermore, it is totally insensitive to climatic agents, such as rain (it is water-repellent, non-absorbent and does not dampen), it is unaffected by heat (it has no softening point, does not become deformed, does not exude), it is not affected by cold inasmuch as it does not crystallize nor suffer any change whatsoever on that account.

The qualities permit that the unit be stored or stacked outdoors, that it be wet by irrigation when on location, or muddied, etc., all these being circumstances which will not affect its combustion and heating capacities.

The units according to the invention need not be covered during rain, as happens in the case of burners made of sheet metal. The units, therefore, can be left, year after year, close to the trunks of the plants, for use in future seasons, without in any way damaging or contaminating the soil, as happens frequently when liquid fuels are spilled from containers, which spillage then contaminates or kills the soil. The said units are totally combustible and can be coupled vertically one to another, thus improving their heat generating capacity by duplicating the weight of the unit. The new unit keeps its shape, due to its adequate and balanced chemical composition, almost right up to the end of combustion and conversion into ashes. lt permits a compact, unitary and mechanized distribution as all the units supply the same potential calorie content in the units which are burnt on a farm during a night of frost.

The units can be set up to form a battery, or in series (horizontal and vertical) inasmuch as merely by lighting the top unit or any horizontal unit, the flame will propage from one unit to another when the units are UI'l mutual contact.

These units are not rechargeable. Instead, another combustible unit is used, thus making unnecessary the use of fixed installations (fuel reservoirs, heating equipment, pumps, distribution tanks, hoses, etc.) which are essential in any farm using the conventional methods such as cans, heaters, etc.

It can be furthermore underlined that the totally combustible units according to the present invention entirely eliminate the necessity of using discarded tires which, on burning, make it impossible to regulate the temperature or the heat produced inasmuch as the entire mass of the tire is burning (it is impossible to stop the combustion of tires having totally different weights).

A combustible unit according to the present invention will now be described as a non-limitative and illustrative example which, for greater clarity and comprehension thereof, has been shown in two embodiments in the attached drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the unit designed according to one possible embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic bottom plan view corresponding to the foregoing figure.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of one possible variational embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic bottom plan view corresponding to the foregoing figure and, finally FIG. 5 is another perspective view, complementary to the illustration of FIG. 4. de

Like numerals represent like or similar parts in the several figures of the drawings.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the totally combustible unit consists of a solid cylindrical body I having a top part 2 and seven gasifying passages 3 which are open-ended and pass through said body longitudinally, being at their lower base 4 in communication with air inlets 5.

In another preferred embodiment of the totally combustible unit according to the present invention and illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the unit comprises a rectangular body 1 with an upper part 2 and six open-ended gasifier passages 3 which pass longitudinally through said body and, at their lower base 4, are related to communicating air inlet channels 5.

The totally combustible unit is readily lighted by sprinkling approximately ten cubic centimeters of a gas oil-naphtha or kerosene-naphtha mixture over the gasifying orifices or passages 3 which generate local temperatures in excess of 240C and start up the operation, gradually increasing the temperature until selfcombustion produces a total, internal as well as external, consumption without any loss whatsoever in physical structure, shape, etc. In fact, gradual coking makes the unit undeformable and the internal temperature slowly rises until, in the gasifying passages 3, it reaches ranges about l000C, thus reducing the unit to ashes.

One of the preferred formulations of the totally combustible unit of the present invention is specified below:

The aforesaid totally combustible units are prepared in the following manner: A hammer mill is charged with residual coal which is then ground and, through pneu matic extraction and classification, is graded to a size of 200 mesh per square centimeter. Optionally, filler materials can then be added, for example, sawdust, vegetable cellulose residues, pulverized rubber, pulverized bakelites etc., similarly ground as above or to a minimum of 30 mesh per square centimeter, the function of these aggregates being to give a certain porosity to the combustible unit of the invention.

The thus prepared mixture is heated to temperatures in the 120 l30C range. An agglomerant consisting of solid asphalt, of a commercial composition plasticized with the addition of 2% vinyl polychloride or polyethylene, is then mixed with said coal and filler, fusion being effected at a temperature in the the 180C range, stirring being effected, vigorously and mechani cally, in a blade mixer, where malaxation occurs of the liquid and hot mixture consisting of fuel oil and diesel oil, which is suitably pulverized to obtain a homogenous paste.

The suitably mixed and hot ingredients are then fed to a molding machine which, through high-pressure extrusion, produces the shapes illustrated in the attached drawings. The matrix molds the hot unit which is then immediately cooled to acquire the necessary consistency for handling.

Cooling at room temperature provides a solidity such that no softening of any kind occurs at temperatures within the 200C range.

It is to be noted that the residual petroleum coal being used is fatty and contained a fixed percentage of volatiles and a very small maximum of ashes. The same can be said regarding the aforementioned liquid fuels.

Total or partial substitution can be made with the addition of mineral and/or vegetable coals, andthe fueldiesel oil mixture can be replaced by reduced crude (heavy fuel oil).

It is to be pointed out that the units according to the invention radiate heat laterally through the entire external surface, this being a fundamental characteristic of the unit.

When carrying this invention into practice further modifications as to certain details, construction and shape of the unit may no doubt be made without, however, departing from the fundamental principles of the invention, as clearly specified in the following claims.

Having thus particularly described and determined the nature of the present invention and the mannner in which same is to be put into practice, it is declared that what is claimed as exclusive property and invention is:

l. A self-supporting, totally combustible unit, for use in counteracting the effects of frost, which comprises a solid combustible body with at least one open-ended passage passing therethrough longitudinally, said passage being communicated with one or more lower air inlet and circulating channels, said unit being characterized by the fact that said combustible body consists integrally of 132 percent of a combustible mixture which includes l00 percent of petroleum residual coal, [5 percent of a filler material chosen from the group consisting of vegetable cellulosic materials, sawdust, pulverized rubber and bakelite, an asphalt agglomerate, and a material selected from the group consisting of vinyl polychloride and polyethylene, the lower base of said combustible body being provided with the channels which, communicating with longitudinal vertical passage, extend towards and to the side of said combustable body to provide inlet openings.

2. A self-supporting, totally combustible unit, for use in counteracting the effects of frost, in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the fact that said combustible body is compounded according to the following formula:

Residual petroleum coal 100% Asphalt agglomeratc [3% Filler material 15% Fuel-Diesel oil 25%) 32% Vinyl polychloride or polyethylene 2%.

3. A selfsupporting, totally combustible unit, for use in counteracting the effects of frost, in accordance with foregoing claim 1, characterized by the fact that said combustible body consisting of combustible materials is provided with a plurality of tubular longitudinal passages, communicating with air inlet channels in the lower supporting base of combustible body.

4. A self-supporting, totally combustible unit, for use in counteracting the effects of frost, in accordance with claim 3, characterized by the fact that said combustible material is compounded according to the following formula:

Residual petroleum coal l00% Asphalt agglomerate 13% Filler material 15% Fuel-Diesel oil (75% 25%) 32% Plastic material 2%. 

1. A SELF-SUPPORTING TOTALLY COMBUSTIVBLE UNIT, FOR USE IN COUNTERACTING THE EFFECTS OF FROST, WHICH COMPRISES A SOLID COMBUSTIBLE BODY WITH AT LEAST ONE OPEN-ENDED PASSAGE PASSING THERETHROUGH LONGITUDINALLY, SAID PASSAGE BEING COMMUNICATED WITH ONE OR MORE LOWER AIR INLET AND CIRCULATING CHANNELS, SAID UNIT BEING CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT SAID COMBUSTIBLE BODY CONSISTS INTEGRALLY OF 132 PERCENT OF A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE WHICH INCLUDES 100 PERCENT OF PETROLEUM RESIDUAL COAL, 15 PERCENT OF A FILLER MATERIAL CHOSEN FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF VEGETABLE CELLULOSIC MATERIALS, SAWDUST, PULVERIZED RUBBER AND BAKELITE, AN ASPHALT AGGLOMERATE, AND A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF VINYL POLYCHLORIDE AND POLYETHYLENE, THE LOWER BASE OF SAID COMBUSTIBLE BODY BEING PROVIDED WITH THE CHANNELS WHICH, COMMUNICATING WITH LONGITUDINAL VERTICAL PASSAGE, EXTEND TOWARDS AND TO THE SIDE OF SAID COMBUSTABLE BODY TO PROVIDE INLET OPENINGS.
 2. A self-supporting, totally combustible unit, for use in counteracting the effects of frost, in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the fact that said combustible body is compounded according to the following formula:
 3. A self-supporting, totally combustible unit, for use in counteracting the effects of frost, in accordance with foregoing claim 1, characterized by the fact that said combustible body consisting of combustible materials is provided with a plurality of tubular longitudinal passages, communicating with air inlet channels in the lower supporting base of combustiBle body.
 4. A self-supporting, totally combustible unit, for use in counteracting the effects of frost, in accordance with claim 3, characterized by the fact that said combustible material is compounded according to the following formula: 